Garment-pressing machine



may 1929- R J. BEEDE RJEJES GARMENT PRESSING MACHINE Filed Jan. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 28, 1929. BEEDE 1,715,315

' GARMENT PRESSING MACHINE .Filed Jan. 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 28, 1929..

UNITED STATES T N 01 F155 nonnn'r mnxs .BEEDE, or rawrucxn'r, mom ISL-AND.-

eAnmmrr-ranssme MACH-IKE.

Application filed January 11, 1927. Serial No. 160,401.

This invention relates to a garment pressing machlne adapted to be used 1n tailoring,

dry cleaning, laundrying, clothing manufac-' In machines of this character the upper.

pressing element, commonly known as the head, is hinged upon the mam supporting frame to swing vertlcally about an axis parallel with and some distance to the rear ofv the longitudinal center of the lower pressing element or buck and is preferably 0 erated and controlled by a system of togg e levers and links including a pedal lever and means for locking and releasing the pedal in and from its pressing position.-

One of the specific objects is to provide the pedal lever with an operating pedal having an independent relative movement for tripping the locking means and thereby releasing the lever and parts actuated thereby from their pressing positions.

Anotherobject is to provide means operable at will for adjusting one of the looking members relatively to its companion member for varying the locking position of the lever.

A further object is to provide resilient means, preferably in the form of a compression spring, adapted to be placed under compression only as the pedal lever approaches the end of its pressure stroke so that it may effect a quick retraction of the press head and its operating means immediately following the tripping of the locking means.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the machine will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a garment pressing machine embodying the various features of the inventron. v

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the pedal lever and its locking and releasing mechanism with a modified review taken in the plane of line 3-3, Figure 1, showing the pedal lever and the locking and releasing means therefor.

As illustrated, this machine comprises a mam supporting frame 1- of any. suitable form, size or material adapted torest upon a floor or other foundation for rece1v1ng and supporting cooperative pressing elements 2- and -3, together with other parts of the machine, in operative position most convenient objects stated. v The lower pressing element or buck '2- 1s preferably mounted in a substantially horizontal position upon the top of a bracket 4 which in turn is secured to the horifor carrying out the zontal upper front portion of the frame.

or pivoted intermediate itsends, at- 7,

to an upwardly extending bracket 8- on the rear portion of the frame 1- to swin about a horizontal axis parallel with an some distance to the rear of the longitudinal center of the buck -2 for moving the press head into and out of pressing co-action with the buck, the bracket 8- and fulcrum --7--being disposed some distance to the rear of the-buck to leave ample space for the manipulation of the garments around and upon the buck.

H ead actuating mechanism.

The means for operating and controlling the operation of the rock arm 6- for moving the press head 3- into and out of pressing co-action with the buck 2- comprises a pedal lever 9-- mounted in the base of the frame -1- to extend forwardly and rearwardly and having its rear end fulcrumed or pivoted at 10- to the lower rear portion of the frame and its front end extended forwardly some distance beyond the frame and provided with a pedalsupporting block 11- preferably of cast metal rigidly secured thereto by any suitable fastening means.

I A lever-operating pedal 12 is pivoted or'otherwise fulcrumed at 13 intermediate its ends to the front end of the block 11 for independent vertical rocking movement relatively thereto about an axis,

lyingportion of the block -11- as shown more clearly in Figure 1 but it is to be understood that this excess weight at the rear of the pivot may be easily overcome by sli ht downward pressure upon the front on of the pedal.

lie em Zack and, release.

Suitable means is rovided for automatically locking and re easing the lever -9- in and from its pressing position and for this purpose 'is provided a gravity pawl or detent 14 which is pivoted at 15-'- to the upper rear portion of'the block -11- at the rear of'the pedal 12 to permit its lower end to swing into and out of engagement with a cooperative keeper 16.

That is, the pawl -14 is suspended from the pivot -15-.- and is provided at its lower, end with a hook-shaped shoulder having its lower face beveled rearwardly so as to automatically travel across the adjacent end face of the keeper -'16 to interlock therewith when the lever is depressed by pressure upon the pedal --12- at the rear of its pivot -13, the normal center of gravity of the pawl --14 bein forward of the vertical lane of its axis 0 movement so as to assure its automatic engagement with the keeper 16- by its own weight. 4

The means for releasing the pawl 14 comprises a ledge extension 17 on the lower rear portion of the pedal -12 to extend laterally therefrom directly beneatha forwardly extending projection 18 on the pawl 14 so that when the pawl is in interlocking engagement with its keeper 16 thedepression of the front end of the pedal lever 12- and resultant elevation of its rear end will cause the ledge -17 to engage the projection -18- and thereby withdraw the pawl -14 from said keeper to release the pedal from its locked position.

The upper rear end of the pedal -12 and the extension -18 of the pawl 14- are adapted to engage resilient buffers tively to reduce the shockand noise jnci ental to their operation.

Motion is transmitted from the lever 9-- to the rock arm -6 through the medium of suitable toggles and links in such manner that the depression of the front end of the lever will effect a cor-responding movement of the press head 3 into pressing co-ac- Under these conditions it is desirable to rovide means whereb the ress head and 3 its operating means may be locked in different pressing positions according to varying tlneknesses of work operated upon and for this purpose the keeper 16- is pivoted or fulcrumed intermediate its ends at 19 upon the frame .1 to swlng about an axis parallel with the axis of movement of the a pawl 14=, said keeper being located at the rear of the lower end of the pawl and has its rear end provided with a pivoted stud -20 having a threaded aperture thcrethrough adapted to be engaged by the lower threaded end of an adjusting rod -'21 which extends upwardly and forwardlythrough a journaLbearing 22 on the adjacent front portion of the frame 1 as shown in Figure 1.

The rod -21 is free to rotate in the journal-bearing 22 but is held against endwise movement by suitable collars 23 and 24-- engaging the lowerand upper faces respectively of the bearing 22-.

The upper end of the rod -21- is provided with a hand wheel -25- by which it may be rotated for adjusting the keeper -16- vertically relatively to the pawl 1 1 and thereby to enable the lever 19- and parts actuated thereby to be locked in different pressing positions.

-The rear end of the rock arm -.6 is operativel connected to the lower rear portion 'of tie base of the frame 1- by a suitable mechanism including a toggle which com rises lower and upper members --26- anc -27 pivotally connected to each other at 28- to form a flexing joint adapted'to flex forwardly as the press head is opened, the lower end of the toggle member ---26- being pivotally fulcrumed at 29 to the base of the frame 1-- at the rear of the pedal-lever pivot 10 and preferably directly below the rear end of the rock arm 6 as shown in Figure 1;

The central portion of the toggle member 26 is operatively connected to the front portion of the frame 1 by means of a forwardly and rearwardly extending toggle composed of members 30- and -31 which are pivotally connected to each other at 32 to form a flexing joint.

The rear endof the member 30 is pivotally connected at ,33- to the intermediate portion of the upright toggle member -26 while the front end 0 the toggle member 31 is pivotally connected at --3l to, the front portion of the frame 1- some distance above the pedal lever 9- and below the table '5 suflicient to allow the toggle joint 32to flex upwardly when the press head and its oper '.ating mechanism are released from their locking positions.

Suitable means is provided for transmitting motion from the pedal lever --9 to the front toggle member 31, said means consisting, in this instance, of a longitudinally adjustable link 35 having its lower end pivoted at 36- to the central portion of the pedal lever -9- just at the rear of the keeper --16-- and its upper end pivotal- Ily connected at 36 to'the central portion of the toggle member 31 so that when the press head and its operating mechanism are forced to their pressing positions the link 35- will assume a substantially vertical position while both toggles will assume nearly a straightened position thus permitting the press head to be brought into pressing co-action with the buck with a ,rel-

atively high degree of pressure by the application of a relatively low degree of power are permitted to assume a straightened position when the movable pressing element and its operating means are forced to their extreme pressing positions as regulated by the adjustment of the link 35 and also by contact of the front end of the pedal lever with a buffer 11. on the underlying v portion of the base of the frame, the object of which is -to permit the press head and its operating mechanism to automatically return to their open positions when the locking member 14 is released from locking engagement with its'keeper 16.

This return or retracting movement of the press head and its operating means is efi'ected partially by one or more relatively light compression springs 37 and a counter-weight 38- which latter is mount- 1 ed upon the rear end of the rock arm 6- as shown in Figure 1. i

The compression spring 37- extends forwardly and rearwardly across the toggle joint 32 and has its rear end connected by a link 39 to the front pivotal pin 34 while its front end is connected by a sprin link +40 to an eye bolt 41-'having its threaded end passed through an aperture in the pivotal pin 33 and engaged by a nut 41' for adjusting the tension of the spring.

The springis adjusted so as tobe brought under compression only when the press head and its operating means approach the limit of their pressing positions whereby when the pedal lever and its operating means will be instantly started on their return movements aided by the counter-weight 38' which is just suflicient to overbalance the weight of the press head and serves to complete the return movement of said press head and its operating mechanism to their extreme open positions, said opening movements being I limited by the engagement of the rear end of the rock arm --6 with a resilient buffer 42- on the upper rear portion of the frame .1 as shown in Figure 2.

It is evident, however, that the pedal lever 9 and parts operated thereby may be retracted from their'pressing positions by one or more tension springs as 37-, Figure 2, if desired.

A hub or yoke --4:4- is eccentrically pivoted at'45 to and between opposite walls of a slot 46- in the rear end of the rockarm 6 and .is provided with a guide opening therethrough for receiving the upper end of the toggle member 27 which is free J to slide endwise therein against and with the action of the spring 43.

This spring -43- is interposed between the underside of the lower end of theyoke 44 and a shoulder l7 on the member .27 to compensate for varying degrees of closing movement of the press head upon work of different thicknesses.

The upper end of the member 27 is threaded and engaged by a hand nut 48- which engages the upper end of the yoke 44- and serves to vary the tension of the ,-43 and also to adjust the press head relatively to the buck, and further to regulate the flexion of the toggle joint 28- toward a straightened position.

Operation.

Assuming that the press head and its operating means are in their open positions as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, the garment or portion thereof to be pressed is the springs -37 willbe laced under more or less compression accor ing to the adjustment of the eye bolts "41- so that the gradually increasing resistance of the springs ismore than counter-acted by the gradually increasing power of application of the pressure as the toggles approach straightened positions.

v The toggles-are adjusted through the medium' of the nut so that their members will be disposed atan angle to each other when the pressing elements are brought into pressm'g coaction upon an interposed garment of approximately pro-determined thickness but incase the article operated-upon or any portions thereof shall be excessively thick the resultant restrained movement of the press head would be compensated by the resilient connections between the toggle member 27- and rear end of the rock arm 6- by reason of the lifting action of the toggle member -27- upon the yoke 44- against the action of the spring '43.

This coiled spring' 43 also serves as a buffer to relieve the shock upon the press head and its operating means when limited cated by the dotted lines for instantly opening the press'head which continues its openmovement by the counter-weight -38-. t will also, e noted that if the coiled spring 43 is placed under tension by the closing of the press head it will then assist in effecting the flexing of the toggles as soon as the locking pawl 14r is tripped.

If the thickness of the articlesto be operated upon varies to any considerable extent it may be compensated for by the adjustment of the keeper --16-- through the medium of its adjusting rod 21-.

It is also evident that the relation of the toggle members -30 and -31 and the angle of flexion of the toggle joint of said members toward a straightened position may be regulated by the lon itudinal adjustment of the link 35- which is preferably made in the form of a turn-buckle.

It is common practice in machines of this character when the press head is moved=to approximately its pressing position to vibrate the press head into and out of engagement with the garment for effecting the desired shaping thereof and this vibratory action is accomplished by intermittent pressure of the foot upon the pedal 12- mainly at the front 4 of the pivot 13 during which the pawl 14 will be held out ofengagement with its keeper 16--.

This intermittent foot pressure upon the pedal for vibrating the press head re uires but little power .due to the approach 0 both toggles toward their straightened positions at which time the resultant pressure of the press head upon the garment is greatest.

The construction described is particularly simple and highly efficient in carrying out the objects stated but obviously'may bemodified in some of its detail without departin from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim is 1. 'In a garment pressing machine having a movable pressing element and a support- .ing frame therefor, means including a pedal lever for moving the pressing element to its pressing position, a locking lever pivotally mounted upon the frame to extend forwardly and rearwardly from its pivot, means operatively connected to the rear end of the locking lever for adjusting the same about itspivot and holding it in its adjusted position,

a detent pivoted to the pedal lever to automatically swing into lockin engagement with the front end of the locking lever when the pedal lever is depressed to its pressing position, a pedal pivoted to the lever to extend in opposite'directions from its pivot and'adapted to be operated in reverse directions \by engagement of the foot therewith at opposite sides of its pivot, means on the pedal for engaging and depressing the pedal lever when the pedal is rocked in one direction, and additional means on the pedal for engaging and tripping the detent from its locking position w direction.

' 2. In a garment pressing machine having a movable" pressing element and a supportin frame therefor, a pedal-operated lever en rocked in the reverse fu crumed on the frame to move vertically, a

and means actuated by the depression of the lever for forcing said pressing element to its pressing position, in combination with means for automaticall locking the lever in its depressed position, and a pedal pivoted to said lever to extend in opposite directions 

